A Twist of Fate
Author: Reflection of a Broken Dream
Pairing: Kagome x Kurama
A Quick Note:
- This chapter started out much differently in my head...but sometimes fics mysteriously like to write themselves 0.o
- Originally, Kagome and Inuyasha's talk turned out differently and Inuyasha wound up appearing...soon after Hiei and Kurama arrived, making for a very awkward and difficult situation. But...this way will allow for another shocking turn of events that will have to be seen to be believed. XP (Hint: the next chapter will hold part if not most of the events and one of which events will occur between Kagome and Kurama...but will it be a good event...or a bad one? XD Sorry, I like to tease, haha! XD )
- I apologize for the wait! ;,;
- Thank you everyone who reviewed! XD I love all of ya'll, and I hope I answered everyone's questions! Haha! XD Please keep reviewing! You guys are my motivation! ;,;
- Chuu The Ice Dragon: I intend to, though it may come about slowly. Xp Oh wow! 0,0 I'm glad I can give you inspiration! When you finish your series, be sure to let me know! I'd love to read it! XD
- MoonPrincess623 - Yes...same here, until I got to thinking about what I could do to create something different from anything anyone's ever seen before, and this idea was born from that brainstorm. No, they are just friends. Kinda like a brother-sisterly relationship between them. Kurama will have to fight for her...but he won't be fighting Inuyasha. XD Who? That's a S-E-C-R-E-T! X3 Hehe- wait and see. XP
- Susan Drakian - Yay! I'm glad you like it! XD Those scenes may be coming soon! ;D
- Kimmico - I'm glad I made you happy! XD I really do want to do more chapters, but I've got a lot going on right now. I'm aiming for a chapter of one fic a week from here so I can get my stories moving on again. And...your wish may soon come true, haha! XD
- SilverontheRose - Thank you! I do my best to catch those pesky mistakes, haha. X3 I wanted to do something no one has seen before, so it's a bit strange...but I hope you continue to enjoy it! XD
- Matsuo Hotaru - Yes...they were both concocted at the same time from the same basic idea, but I took it two seperate ways and I wanted to write out both, so I posted them as well. They're about to deviate a bit, though. XD
- Kerria Flower - Hahahahaha! I guess he would be! XD Oooh...how will daddy Hiei feel about this? XD
- Hope ya'll enjoy this!
- Please review!
Disclaimer:
I still don't own them!
(Don't own the song 'Born This Way' by Lady Gaga, but it was a fun little reference.)
A Twist of Fate
Chapter 5 - Born This Way
"Ah!" Kagome jolted awake in her bed; sweat beaded on her brow and dripped down her back as her breaths came out in short pants. Images of her nightmare lingered, flashing before her eyes every time they slid shut... "No..." She gasped and held her hands over her eyes, the scene clear in her mind. She could see her demonic form in a rage...she was drenched in blood, the bodies of everyone she'd ever loved lying around her...cooling in a mass pool of their life-blood. "I can't do this...I can't...what if I'm...like Inuyasha when he loses control?" Kagome tried to regulate her breathing as tears burned in her eyes. "I can't keep putting it off and not thinking about it. The seal is breaking...and I can't handle it. If I accidentally kill someone...I'll never forgive myself. I need them to re-make it, to re-seal this beast away..." Removing her hands, Kagome turned bleary eyes to her clock. "Five." Her voice was more of a croak than anything. 'I'll have to wait until Sota goes to school...,' she thought with a frown. Knowing she wouldn't be able to rest after that nightmare, Kagome got herself up and headed to the bathroom for a shower.
Half an hour later, Kagome was out and dressed for the day in another set of school clothes she had left over from the last of her school days. The only addition to them was the pair of black shorts beneath to keep perverts from trying anything funny. She didn't have time to be worrying about things like that right now. Opting out of breakfast, too nervous and jittery from her nightmare to eat, Kagome went outside and was immediately drawn to the Goshinboku. Stepping over the mini-fence and walking up to its base, she realized that she felt a familiar presence there.
"Inuyasha," Kagome called softly, her voice almost a whisper as her fingers caressed the aged bark of the old tree.
"Hey...you're up pretty early," Inuyasha noted, knowing she had a tendency to sleep in on the days she stayed home. He'd slept in the tree that past night- it was easier to keep track of demons in the area that way. "Everything okay?" Kagome let out a breath and debated telling him...and then she debated lying to him. Neither would go over well...but she had to say something...
"Yeah...I...I've just been thinking about some things is all," Kagome chose neither, skirting the issue with a sigh of relief at her quick thinking.
"You've always got a lot on your mind," Inuyasha mused, making her stiffen. "What's got you all worked up now? And don't lie! I can smell your anxiety from here..." There was a tense, nervous pause.
"I believe I'm onto the cause of my power failure," Kagome spoke, careful with her words. "But it's kind of farfetched..."
"You travel five hundred years into the past- you can't get much weirder than that," Inuyasha retorted, making a frown tug at Kagome's lips. "What've you found?"
"...Do you still feel the same way about yourself, as a hanyou, as you did when we first met?" Kagome half-turned the topic, desperate to draw attention away from herself yet also curious to know the answer of her blurted reply.
"Wha-? I...," Inuyasha started and stopped, and she could practically see him frowning. A pause lingered for a long moment, Kagome about to speak again when he finally replied. "No, I don't." Kagome blinked at the tree in surprise. Inuyasha's answer was unexpectedly soft and sincere. "You taught me that it's okay to be myself no matter what, Kagome. I know I'm not the best guy in the world, that I complain a lot and I get angry easy...but you accepted me for who I am. You taught me not to be ashamed of my heritage as a hanyou- I was born this way, and I can't help it- and I even...when I'm with you, Kagome...I feel like I should be proud of myself. I feel proud to be a hanyou, even with all of the hardships. I guess I have you to thank for that, huh?" His voice was sheepish but warm by the end. Tears burned in Kagome's eyes again and she felt selfish and foolish for what she had planned, for wanting to ask her mom and Ji-san to renew her seals to keep her a human- something she wasn't. She was a hypocrite, encouraging Inuyasha to be himself while denying her own heritage... Despicable. Guilt gnawed at her from the inside out as the tears fell. "...Kagome?"
"I'm so proud of you, Inuyasha...of how much you've grown," Kagome replied honestly, her voice hushed. She got the distinct impression that Inuyasha was blushing...a lot. "I only hope I can be as strong as you are."
"W-W-W-What the-! What are you going on about now, Kagome?! You're one of the strongest people I know!" Inuyasha stammered out, very obviously flustered. A blush burned Kagome's cheeks, the girl more than embarrassed by her behavior and by Inuyasha's sudden shocking compliment. "A-Anyway, I don't see what this has to do with your problems with your reiki. Unless it has something to do with you not being human...and that's not possible. I would've smelled something like that."
"Yeah," Kagome laughed, trying- and failing- to sound convinced of his words. "Well...I have more research to do and I'm sure you and everyone else need to get going..."
"Yeah," Inuyasha sighed out. "They're probably waiting for me now...I better get back." Kagome released a silent sigh, glad that the topic had been dropped. She wasn't ready to tell him now...and she doubted he would believe her just yet. At the same time, though...she wanted some advice about how to stay calm and not go all bloodlust-crazy. The image from her dream popped up, making her grimance as her insides twisted uncomfortably. "Good luck, Kagome. Come back soon."
"I'll try. Good luck to you guys, too...be careful," Kagome replied softly as she ran her fingertips over the rough bark of the tree.
"Always," Inuyasha chuckled, and she could imagine that he had a boyish grin on his face. It cheered her up some, a small smile pulling at her lips. And just like that, he was gone. With one mighty leap, he had started back to Edo to restart their quest for Naraku and the shards. Kagome was left standing on her side feeling cold and lonely. Was there no one she could ask for help? Her father would rather kill her than help...so who was there on this side that she could ask?
"I might could go back secretly and ask Jinenji...," Kagome contemplated softly before she felt it. A faint pulse of familiar and unwelcome youki. "What? Kami, no!" He couldn't be back already! One night was not long enough for him to have calmed down enough to talk things out rationally! ...Was it? Uncertain and unwilling to take a risk, Kagome dashed back inside for her bow and arrows.
"Was it wise to release your youki like that, Hiei?" Kurama asked with a hint of worry in his tone as they casually strode down the sidewalk side-by-side.
"I want her to know that we're coming," Hiei responded, his crimson eyes focused on their short walk to the shrine stairs. "It's better than sneaking around like a thief in the night- no offense."
"None taken," Kurama waved off while Youko couldn't decide if he was more offended by the statement or amused. "You don't want her to be suspicious of our motives in being here, then?"
"Hn," Hiei inclined his head, both stepping up onto the first stair at the same time. "I want no misunderstandings."
"Understandable, considering the way things went yesterday...," Kurama inclined his head as Hiei gave a stiff nod. "Hopefully things will go more favorably today."
"Hn," Hiei hummed again, an unsure frown tugging at his lips. 'I'm not so sure everything will go well,' Hiei admitted silently, his mind and the fox's not connected. 'I said that I wanted to kill them...right in front of the girl. With my luck, she will try to kill us as soon as we crest the top stair...' He took a breath as they quickly reached the top stair, his crimson eyes narrowing as Kurama's emerald orbs widened.
'Damn!' Kagome cursed silently, bow taught in her hands, arrow nocked and aimed at the two unexpected guests, her azure eyes narrowed suspiciously at them. 'He brought his friend.' Her lips pulled into a deeper frown as she attempted to summon her reiki. A spark flickered over her body, making both Kurama and Hiei tense. 'Shit!' Kagome's jaw ticked in annoyance. 'What a time for my power to fade out!'
'I knew it,' Hiei sighed silently in the confines of his mind. He hadn't thought to attempt to read her mind yet- he was thinking about how right he was that she was going to attack them.
"State your business," Kagome spoke aloud, hoping they hadn't realized that she was just a sitting duck with an empty threat.
'Fiesty, dangerous little minx,' Youko commented as the two foxes hoped for the best but all three expected the worst.
"We're here on friendly terms, Kagome-san," Kurama spoke with a small smile plastered onto his face. "We just want to talk."
"Or you could be trying to trick me into a false sense of security so you both can kill us," Kagome replied evenly in a near monotone, attempting to mask her emotions. All the while, she was trying to figure out if they were lying or not, and if she could afford to trust them. Kurama's smile faultered at her words.
'Not very trusting, is she?' Youko hummed in displeasure. 'Distrust comes from being betrayed...or from someone in particular saying he wanted to kill both her and the boy. Either way.' He shrugged silently and Kurama had to fight not to sigh in exasperation while Hiei's frown only deepened.
"If we meant you harm, I wouldn't have alerted you to my presence, now would I?" Hiei crossed his arms over his chest and Kagome hesitated for a half of a second. He had a point. They saw the hesitation and counted that as a good thing. Kurama gently nudged Hiei, the two locking eyes a moment before he motioned back to an observant and suspicious Kagome.
'Keep it going,' Youko urged, the mind link between them opened up. 'She's responding better to your method, shockingly enough...' Hiei held back a small snort at what Youko had said at the end.
"So...what do you want, then?" Kagome gave in and asked, her hold lessening on the bow just a little. "You were pretty intent on 'taking care' of me and Souta last night..."
"To. Talk," Hiei repeated what Kurama had said. "Are you deaf? Or just plain stupid?"
"Hey!" Kagome cried, anger taking hold as she pulled the bow back taut again with a small creak of the wood and string.
'Careful, now,' Kurama cautioned silently, cold sweat running down his back. He wasn't sure if they could- himself, mostly, Hiei was almost guaranteed to be able to- escape from her attack in time, should she choose to let that arrow loose...
"And I'm not going to kill either of you," Hiei harumphed and looked off to the side. Kagome's eyes widened in obvious surprise. Was that...a light pink coloration to his cheeks? She was too far away to tell for sure... Youko was chuckling like a mad fox and a small smile formed on Kurama's lips. "I was...just surprised. And I hate surprises. ...Now lower your damn weapon." Crimson flickered back to azure and Kagome loosened her hold a bit again.
'It seems like he's being honest...,' Kagome pondered, still a bit hesitant to fully lower her bow and arrow.
"He's telling the truth, you know," a voice surprised them all.
"Mom?" Kagome asked, mildly shocked. When had she gotten there?
"Hikari?" Hiei blinked in surprise. How had she hidden her presence? For a brief second, Kagome and Hiei looked at one another before turning back to their- now amused- guest who was walking outside.
"Sorry, I was eavesdropping," Hikari smiled pleasantly as she gazed warmly between both of the parties.
'Sneaky vixen,' Youko chuckled, Kurama awed by her very calm and sudden presence. She was as good at hiding her presence as they were...
"When did you...," Kagome started and stopped.
"When you ran out with your bow and arrows, dear," Hikari answered easily. "I figured he'd come back to talk things out- it's not the first time we've done this dance... Right, Hiei?" She chuckled as she peered back at Hiei, who scowled and looked away, his face more obviously red. Kurama grinned and lightly nudged his red and silently pouting and brooding friend.
"Hn," Hiei replied simply, without really replying.
"Put down your bow and arrow, Kagome, he isn't here to harm us," Hikari smiled at Kagome, her hand on the bow. Kagome frowned lightly, but nodded and slowly did as she asked. "Thank you."
"Hm," Kagome hummed and nodded to her mom. 'I just sounded like...,' she started and stopped, a light flush heating her own cheeks as the same thought crossed Hiei's surprised mind and Kurama and Youko's amused minds.
'Like father, like daughter,' Youko grinned.
'Shut it, fox,' Hiei scowled at both of the foxes.
"It's not polite to hold silent conversations," Hikari's voice rang out in almost a sing-song way as she gazed pointedly at Hiei and Kurama.
"I apologize," Kurama instantly bowed to the warm woman he was coming to like as Kagome blinked and froze.
'Wait...not only can he see past memories and erase them...but he can speak telepathically?' Kagome asked herself silently, a bead of sweat running down her brow. Hiei snorted at her thought, his crimson eyes turning to the, again, stiffening girl as Kurama stood straight again beside him.
"Fine," Hiei answered unhappily, his eyes flicking from Hikari to Kagome again. "And yes, I can." Hikari looked back at Kagome curiously as the girl bristled.
"Kagome?" Hikari asked expectantly as Kurama gazed between them just as curiously.
"I was just wondering if he could speak telepathically...he answered my question out loud," Kagome replied simply, thrusting her arrow back into her quiver and holding onto her bow so tightly that her knuckle turned white. "Stay out of my head."
"I do as I please," Hiei shot back at her. She took a deep breath before replying, her grip loosening a little on her bow as she shifted it a bit.
"Look, I've had a lot of demons mess with my head, okay?" Kagome surprised Hiei and Kurama. Hikari's eyes narrowed sorrowfully. The details of that event- of most of her battles, really- were never fully disclosed to the elder Higurashi, but she had caught glimpses of the damage that had been done in Kagome's eyes, words, and actions...and occasionally when Kagome let the tears loose, when she thought that she was alone... "They got into my mind and found ways to control me...I hurt the people I care about because they got into my head. So, please...I'm asking you nicely. Stay out of my mind. I don't like it." Hiei was mildly taken aback by her honest admission and sincere request. She was so much like her mother in the way she spoke just then...but what surprised him more...was the scent of truth that accompanied her admission and the haunted, pained look in her deepening azure eyes. That, along with the pleading look Hikari sent him, made his mind up for him.
"...Fine," Hiei replied, limiting his mind-reading to Kurama's mind so that he could still hear Youko's comments. He would respect her wishes...because he thoroughly understood the tortures of mind control and everything else that went along with it.
'Just what has she faced in her life?' Youko wondered, a question Hiei was also silently pondering.
"Thank you," Kagome let out a breath of relief as Hikari managed to smile again, obviously happy that they were getting along to some degree. Hiei merely hummed and inclined his head.
"Now that everything is settled...," Hikari spoke up, regaining everyone's attention. "Let's all go in and sit at the kitchen table and talk. I've got tea waiting...and we have snacks if anyone's hungry." Kurama and Youko couldn't help but smile, the older of the two chuckling at her motherly antics. Kagome's eyes unclouded and the tension in Hiei's body unwound a bit.
'And you still haven't properly introduced us,' Kurama added silently to Hiei, the man flinching at that. He wasn't used to things like this... Thankfully, Hikari saved him the trouble as he started walking towards her.
"Who is your friend, Hiei?" Hikari asked with a gentle smile, Kurama behind Hiei. Kagome was nearing them, cautiously staying towards the back of the group.
"That's Kurama," Hiei introduced somewhat gruffly. "He's a fox demon avatar."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Kurama-san," Hikari smiled cheerily and bowed politely to Kurama. He quickly returned the bow. Kagome was a bit surprised and amazed by the relaxed interaction between Hiei and her mom.
"And it is a pleasure to meet you, as well, Hikari-san," Kurama greeted kindly as they both stood erect again. "If I may say, I have been itching to meet the woman that has had such a large impact on my friend's life after I heard of you last night...and you are simply radiant."
"Oh!" Hikari started, a bit flustered as her cheeks heated up, her dark eyes briefly glancing back at a bristling Hiei. "Thank you."
"Fox," Hiei warned, glaring at Kurama.
'Did we lay it on too thick?' Youko asked amusedly.
"Just don't," Hiei growled out, Hikari curiously glancing between the two as Kagome felt very awkward about the exchange. Was he always like this? Or was he flirting with her mother? That made her feel even weirder...
'Are you worried about us coming onto her?' Kurama asked outright, more amused than anything. 'You don't have to worry- we're not interested in her that way.'
'You're not,' Youko snorted back at him.
'Youko,' Kurama warned, but the fox shrugged it off with a grin.
"Do you want to die?" Hiei asked with cutting eyes, Hikari shifting her worried gaze between the two.
"There's no need to threaten me over what Youko said," Kurama attempted to placate, his hands up in his defense. "You know as well as I do who has full control of this body. He's just trying to get a rise out of you."
'Must you always ruin my fun?' Youko pouted.
"...Hn," Hiei nodded after a moment, calming from the sudden rise of the jealous green monster within. Hikari was his. Not Youko's, and not Kurama's. HIS. Hiei blinked at his own possessive thoughts. When did that happen?
"Um...not to interrupt, but...what are you talking about?" Kagome asked before her mom could, the girl looking between the two men and trying to puzzle out who Youko was if the red-head's name was Kurama. "Who is Youko?"
"It's your story," Hiei grunted out to Kurama as they lingered near the back entrance of the house, the male crossing his arms over his chest again.
"It is...," Kurama hesitated only briefly as he turned back to a confused Kagome. "To make a very long story short, a kitsune thief by the name of Youko Kurama got himself killed about twenty-some odd years ago. Unready to die, with tasks left undone, he sent his soul out to find a host...an unborn human child who would likely die. He found me, the would-be- or perhaps not, if I had died at birth- human Shuichi Minamino. Thinking I didn't even have a soul yet, and as he was weakening, unable to go much farther, Youko merged himself with me. We became one, in body...but our souls have remained seperate all of this time. I have complete control of our body most of the time. The only exceptions have been with external means of bringing him out...a time or two of intense battling...as well as a few other times. But he is very much still here, making comments in the back of my mind and riling Hiei, among others, up for fun. If he continues down this path...he's going to get us killed one day..."
'You could have left the last part out,' Youko griped as Kagome looked at him in awe.
"Wow...it must be...interesting to live with someone else always in your mind with you," Kagome commented, drawing Youko's attention.
"Interesting...is probably the best word for it," Kurama inclined his head with a soft chuckle. Kagome smiled a small, real, smile and Youko perked up.
'She has a nice smile,' Youko commented, surprising Kurama. 'It's so much better than the forced smiles she wore yesterday and that scary angry look we saw earlier... Keep it up, kit, I want to see more real smiles.'
'...Alright,' Kurama replied silently, blinking at the excitement of Youko's interest in her smile and not...other parts of her body. It was different...but definitely not an unwelcome change. 'I'll do what I can.' Hiei raised a brow at this, unsure what he thought of this odd change in Youko, having been expecting the same as Kurama.
"So...you're a kitsune?" Kagome quickly turned the topic, the girl interested in this fact. Hikari smiled knowingly as she opened the back door, Hiei, Kurama, and Youko clueless to why she was interested.
"Technically speaking, yes," Kurama inclined his head. "I inheritted many of Youko's abilities, his intelligence and instincts among other things, the typical red hair and green eyes of kitsune kits-ah...that is, kitsune children-, and I can transform into our fox form at will."
"I know what kits are," Kagome smiled, her lips tilting up a bit more at the ends. Youko was very pleased by this, and Kurama was, again, surprised. "I help take care of one off and on...off right now, but I'll have my chance to be with him again soon."
- End Chapter 5 -
- No cliffie! But it kinda gets you wondering what Kurama and Youko's reactions will be, ne? And Hiei's, too... Find out in the next chapter! Also! A surprise visit from Hojo! Why does Hiei feel...kind of pissed off all of a sudden? Kurama to the rescue! Wait...can that really be called a rescue? And the words of the kami come back into play with another surprise twist that leaves Kagome riled and upset. When will the craziness end?!
- I hope ya'll enjoyed this!
- Please review! XD